It’s equally as important to pay special attention to the outside of your caravan.

A thorough clean of your caravan’s exterior before you leave and after you return from a caravanning trip will help to extend the life of your caravan, prevent rust and lessen the chance of paint damage.

When the outside of your home is next due for a professional clean, ask your house-cleaning professionals if they could also clean your caravan’s exterior with a specially designed pressure-cleaning gurney.

It can be good idea to book your caravan in for an annual detailing. Talk to your local carwash or your caravan mechanic for ideas and suggestions. Use normal car detergent and warm water to give your caravan a good wash.

Talk to your caravan manufacturer or dealer to find out if you can use wax-based polish to clean your van’s exterior. Some caravan paint is different to car paint and wax can damage it.

For more tips, click here.

At home, you can throw the windows and doors open, turn up ceiling fans to circulate air, and burn refreshing candles to keep the interior air fresh. In your caravan, sometimes unwanted odours can lurk uninvited, and might be tougher to remove.

Follow these simple steps to rid your caravan of unwanted odours:

•    Regularly clean your caravan’s interior to remove dust and mould. A diluted vinegar or oil of clove solution is a handy way to kill mould naturally.
•    To rid your caravan of stuffiness after it has been sitting in storage for an extended period, make time to give your van a good air out. Before leaving on a roadtrip, set aside half a day to air your caravan (opening all windows and doors) on a sunny day.
•    In the case of food spillages or food going off in your van’s fridge, disinfect the fridge, and try placing an open container of oatmeal inside the fridge to help neutralise unwanted smells.

Start planning your next caravanning trip with RACQ.

Correct air pressure helps to extend the life of your tyres, decreases the chances of tyre blowouts, and helps improve braking and vehicle handling.

When determining the ideal air pressure for your caravan’s tyres, be sure to check your caravan owner’s manual and the markings on your caravan tyres to determine the correct psi (pound per square inch).

When approaching off-road conditions (if your caravan is designed for off-road travel) or uneven surfaces, you might need to let some air out of your caravan’s tyres to help them absorb the shock of the uneven and bumpy ground. Ensure that you remember to set the pressure back to normal when you’ve returned to more even road. You might need to set an alarm on your mobile phone as a reminder to pump the tyres back up.

In addition to regularly monitoring your caravan tyres, it’s also important to regularly check the psi of your tow vehicle. Some tow vehicles will need to have the rear tyres inflated more than the front tyres. Check your owner’s manual for more information.

RACQ recommends a pre-holiday vehicle inspection. Click here for more information.

In addition to checking the air pressure of your caravan’s tyres, continue your roadtrip preparation here.

Make the most of your home away from home, and put a creative twist on breakfast in your caravan.

Here are five easy breakfast ideas to add to your caravanning meal plan:

1.    Fruit salad and yoghurt. Keep an eye out for roadside fruit stalls to top up your supplies with fresh local fruit.
2.    French toast is sure to be a crowd-pleaser when catering for larger groups of caravanners, and it’s also a good meal to try when you need to use up stale bread.
3.    Fried mushrooms on toast. Toss in a sprig of thyme for a tasty addition.
4.    An omelette with smoked salmon and cheese. A good source of protein, salmon and eggs will break up your usual cereal or toast routine.
5.    Fried eggs with baby spinach. You could add dried chilli flakes to the fried eggs for extra bite.

Find tips on stocking up your caravan’s pantry here. You can browse more breakfast ideas here.

Feeling up to the challenge? A good place to start when de-cluttering your caravan is the pantry.

Like your pantry at home, your caravan’s pantry can accumulate a mass of unwanted, outdated and unnecessary items, particularly if you are on an extended trip. As you begin to delve into the recess of your caravan’s pantry be sure to check all use-by dates and keep an eye out for products that you are unlikely to use when cooking a meal in your caravan.

Handy dividers, drawer organisers and small containers can help you keep your pantry organised. Keep spices and jars together, and tinned food in a separate area. Rather than packing entire containers (for example a whole packet of tea bags), pack only enough for your trip and keep the rest of the stock at home.

Create a ‘master list’ of essential foodstuffs to always stock up in your pantry. This will hopefully help save time when buying food for your next caravanning trip.

You might find these pantry-organising tips helpful.

Aim to take the stress out of removing ants from your motorhome or caravan, and try a few simple tricks to repel ants.

Follow this brief guide to help repel ants from your caravan:

•    Some caravanners find it helpful to put out ant repeller around the bottom of caravan tyres whilst it’s in storage. Be mindful that some ant repellers can be poisonous, so be careful if you have pets. ‘Ant kill’ or repellent can also make its way into local waterways, so if you can find a natural solution, this would be ideal. Talk to you local eco store for ideas about natural ant repellers.
•    Regularly do the dishes and try to avoid leaving any mess exposed. Install a covered rubbish bin in your caravan’s kitchen.
•    Wipe down surfaces with diluted vinegar. This may help to repel ants.
•    Store all food in sealed containers, including flours, fruit and bread.
•    Check that your caravan does not have leaks or cracks.
•    You could try dabbing an essential oil such as peppermint oil at door steps and window sills to repel ants.
•    You could lining window sills with black pepper corns. Remember to remove the pepper before driving with your caravan!

You could try some of these hints for discouraging ants naturally, without needing to resort to insecticide.

Find out more about ants found in Australia them by clicking through to this CSIRO web page.

Located approximately 4.5 hours’ drive north of Brisbane, Bundaberg’s coastline marks the southern start of the Great Barrier Reef. Many caravanners, tourists and roadtrippers will incorporate trips to nearby Lady Elliot or Lady Musgrave Islands to explore the reef whilst visiting Bundaberg.

During a stay in Bundaberg, nature lovers can also visit nearby Mon Repos Beach, home to the South Pacific’s largest loggerhead turtle rookery. Whilst exploring the Bundaberg township, you might also be tempted to tour the local Bundaberg Rum Distillery.

You will find numerous caravan parks and camping grounds in the Bundaberg area. Accommodation options include sites at Bargara Beach, Cania Gorge National Park and on the banks of the Burnett River. The town also boasts numerous popular barramundi fishing spots, so keen anglers might be interested to set up camp near Lake Monduran, one hour’s drive west of Bundaberg.

Start planning your Bundaberg trip here.

Whilst it’s important not to fear the worst or worry that you might fall ill mid-holiday, it’s also a good idea to pack necessary medical supplies in case you need them during your trip.

Consider these suggestions when packing your toiletries, bathroom supplies and first-aid kit:

• Pack adequate medication, antihistamines or natural hayfever remedies if you or fellow caravanners suffer from hayfever. You might pass through areas where certain plants can spark up allergies.
• Ask your GP or pharmacist if they can review your first-aid kit, to ensure that your supplies are up-to-date and appropriate.
• Stock your caravan’s medical supplies with adequate cold and flu remedies. Pack the usual remedies that you rely on when you feel like you are coming down with a cold at home. These supplies might include powdered Vitamin C, echinacea and horseradish and garlic tablets.
• Buy remedies for upset stomachs in case you feel nauseated during your trip. You also find it helpful to pack some car-sickness tablets if you are new to driving holidays.
• In addition to an ample supply of sunscreen, it’s a good idea to pack some aloe vera ointment to soothe sunburn.
• Double check that you have packed handy items such as tweezers, cotton buds, eye drops, and antiseptic ointment in case of small cuts.

For more health tips and advice, click here. Visit a travel doctor for more specific conditions.

When talking to dealers or private sellers, here is a brief list of questions to keep on hand before purchasing a second-hand caravan:

• Always ask to view the registration history of the caravan.
• Ask if the caravan has been involved in any accidents, and request details in writing (such as accident reports and repair details) referring to any major repairs or adjustments made to the caravan.
• Whilst it’s generally advisable to buy a relatively new second-hand caravan, if you do opt for an older model, remember to ask the dealer, seller or manufacturer about the availability of spare parts. Being aware of availability will help you to avoid frustrations in the future when needing to source replacement parts.
• Before arranging to view a potential van, ask the current owner if you will be able to do a thorough ‘once over’ of the van. Make it clear that you would like to thoroughly check everything inside and outside the van.

RACQ can help with caravan inspections. For a list of dealers who offer pre-inspected caravans, click here.

However, mastering the art of driving a vehicle with a caravan attached is not a regular part of driver training.

When you are instructing someone who is learning to tow a caravan, there are some basic tips to keep in mind.

Always practise in a safe location, away from highways and congested areas. Keep driving lessons short and concise to avoid overloading the new caravan driver with too much information at one time. Be mindful to explain the importance of maintaining a safe following distance. Explain to your learner driver that, due to the added weight of a caravan, it will take longer to stop when the brakes are put on.

In addition to teaching someone how to safely drive a car and a caravan, it’s also important to educate them about caravan-driving etiquette and caravan maintenance. Drivers also need to be mindful of the towing capacity of individual vehicles, how to properly attach a caravan to a car, and how to check that a caravan’s tyres are in good condition before towing it.

RACQ offers Driver Towing Courses, including Caravan and Trailer Towing Workshops. Find out more here.